James p



milo-z mijo I .J. P. OBRIBN.

(No Model.)

SIGN.

d Patenteddpr. 12, 1887..

Griff- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. OBRIEN, vOF NEV YORK, N. Y.

SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,900, dated-April 12, 1887.

Application filed November 4, 1BSG.` Serial No. 218,013.

(No model.)

vis a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in advertising-signs; and it consists of the peculiar combination of devices and in the novel construction and arrangement of the various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out .in the claims.

rIhe primary object of my invention is to provide an improved advertising-sign of novel and simple construction, which shall attract the attention of passengers in railroadcars and vehicles of any description, the customers in stores, passers on streets, Src.

Heretofore it has been proposed to provide an advertising-sign with one or a series of openings, and to suspend or pivot in each opening a movable plate or disk which is free to vibrate or move therein under the action of the wind on the sign, and also when a jarring or other movement is imparted to the sign; and it has also been proposed to connect the sign to an electro-magnet, so that all of the series of disks in the sign will be moved simultaneously by the vibration of the sign. These devices are somewhat expensive and difficult of manufacture, and hence they do not meet the demands of all advertisers.

In my improved sign I propose to provide a piece'or back, which is usually arranged in rear of the sign proper, 'and carries the spots, disks, or other devices, and is loosely snspendedvby suitable means, so that all of the disks or spots appear to move together. The disks on the vibrating piece orl back canbe seen or observed through the openings in the sign proper, and the back or piece is caused v to vibrate or move while the sign proper remains stationary, and thus secure the attractive and desirable feature in a sign of the class to which my invention relates at a very small cost.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a signembodying my improvements, Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view thereof, and

3 is a front elevation with the sign proper removedto show the manner of suspending the sign-back more clearly. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the sign proper, which has the usual word or words printed,

painted, stamped, or otherwise impressed thereon. Each word, letter, or character of the sign has a series of transverse openings, a, formed therein, as is usual in signs of this class; or the entire letter may be cut out.

B designates the vibrating piece or back, which is arranged in rear of the sign proper,

and this piece or back has a series of spots or disks, b, thereon, which are arranged so that they can be observed through the openings a in the sign A. These disks can be made separately from the vibrating piece or back and Y suitably secu red or affixed thereto. The spots or disks can be printed, stamped, painted, or otherwise impressed thereon. The spots or disks are arranged to form the word, letter, or character in outline of the part through which the spots or disks can be seen-as, for instance, in the case of the sign here shown, the word Eden is formed on the back in outline by a series of disks, which are suitably arranged to form the letters of which the word is composed, as will be very readily understood.

The sign proper, A, is preferably secured or affixed in\a frame, C, in any suitable or preferred manner, and this frame is to be rigidly held in place in a car or other vehicle, astore, or other place where it can be observed by passers, although the sign can be fixed in any other suitable manner. I have shown it xed in the frame C merely for the purpose of illustrating the manner of holding and protecting the sign in a street-railway car; but it is obvious that the sign can be fixed directly to the car, and without the frame, or to any other place.

The vibrating piece or back is loosely suspended in rear of the sign by resilient devices which give or impart the vibrating motion to the same when the slighest shock or jar is imparted to the device-as, for instance,when the car to which the sign is affixed is in motion. These resilient suspendingdevices pref- IOO ures such as I employ. Further than this, the letters on the flexible sheet of glass being visiblesolely by reason of the stationary sheet, it necessarily follows that the letters would show very dimly, and the variegated or changing appearance of the letters would not be plainly visible, especially since the glass sheets are colored. In my device these objections are overcome and the advantages heretofore pointed outare attained to the highest degree.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. In a sign, the front or sign proper, constructed of some opaque material and having the words, letters, characters, or figures there. on, and the transverse openings cut through the sign-front at the point where the words, characters, or figures are arranged, combined with a vibrating piece having a plain ground with spots, disks, lor other figures thereon, which spots, disks, or gures correspond in shape and size to the openings cut out of the sign-front, and can only be seen through the openings of the sign-front, as set forth.

2. In a sign, the front or sign proper, having the opaque igures thereon, and the openings cut through the sign-front at the points Where the figures are arranged, which openings are either at the eyes, mouth, or at any point of the figure, as explained, combined with the vibrating piece or back having spots ordisks or gurcs thereon, which spots or disks or figures correspond with that portion of the figure ou the sign-board through which the openings are cut, and said spots, disks, or figures being seen only through the said openings, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES P. O'BRIEN.

Witnesses:

E. I-I. MERRITT, WM. N. MOORE.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets--Sheet 1.'

P. PALM. Y

SODA-WATER BOTTLE EILLER AND SIRUP MEASURE COMBINED.

No.' 360,901.` Patented Apr. 12, 1887.-

.MIIHIINIIIHH er l I 

